STABICRAFT 2750 WITH MERCURY JPO

An electric-blue, twin Verado 250hppowered Stabicraft 2750 is making waves in the Bay of Islands – for all the right reasons.

“The new owner absolutely loves it,” says Craig Lewis, Dealer Principal of Gulfland Marine, which installed the Mercury JPO (Joystick Piloting for Outboard) system that’s attracting all the attention.

When the owner picked up the vessel from Whangaparaoa, north of Auckland, he decided drive it home by sea, a five-hour trip.

“On the way, he stopped over some pinnacles about 300 metres deep where he engaged the Skyhook on the JPO and threw a line in,” says Craig.

Skyhook is the digital GPS positioning system which holds a boat in position, regardless of tides or wind.

“He filled the fish bin with hapuku in halfan-hour, which he’s never done before.

“He said all these other boats were circling him, trying to get in on the action, and they couldn’t believe he was just sitting there, not moving. They were mesmerised, watching him and forgetting about the fish!”

JPO provides boat drivers with 360o control, right at their fingertips, allowing them to move sideways, diagonally or spin the boat on its own axis. Even novice drivers instantly become experts, while docking and trailering in tough conditions is made easy.

JPO integrates seamlessly with Mercury’s Smartcraft package, including Digital Throttle & Shift, Skyhook Digital Anchor, lntegrated Autopilot and Vesselview 4 or 7.

Accommodating up to nine people, the 3.5-tonne, 8.4m Stabicraft 2750 is the manufacturer’s first centre-cab model. Twin 250hp Verados provide ample power, best-in-class fuel economy and super-quiet, reliable performance.